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Penn State Launches All-in-One Mobile App

A new mobile app at Penn State University provides single sign-on access to the learning management system, e-mail, shuttle bus tracking, campus maps, grades, class schedules, tuition bills, library services, academic advising and more. Available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, Penn State Go is the result of a university-wide initiative to improve the student mobile experience. The university partnered with Modo Labs on the app development.

Students can personalize their app experience by selecting a specific user role, or Persona, based on which campus they attend. They can also opt in and out of various channels to control what types of messages they receive.

User feedback, gleaned from surveys, focus groups, discussions with student groups and beta testers, guided the app development process. In particular, students helped prioritize desired features and come up with a name for the app. The most-wanted features were access to the Canvas learning management system, LionPATH tuition bills, Penn State e-mail, Starfish academic advising, campus safety and library services.

Future plans include the addition of Personas for faculty, staff, alumni, campus visitors and prospective students, as well as the release of a desktop version of the app.

"Penn State is committed to adopting innovative technologies that advance student success and lifelong engagement," said Don Welch, interim vice president and chief information officer at Penn State, in a statement. "Ultimately, the goal of Penn State Go is to provide students, faculty, staff, alumni, as well as campus visitors access to all their needs, including academics, student life, and resources, from anywhere, at any time."

About the Author

About the author: Rhea Kelly is executive editor for Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].